17th edition of the Canadian Awarding ceremony of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowships Français
MONTREAL, Nov. 26, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - During a ceremony held on November 25 at the French Embassy in Canada, five Canadian researchers were honoured and rewarded through the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program, with the support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
In presence of Kareen Rispal, Ambassador of France in Canada, hostess of the event, these 5 young women joined the international scientific community of 107 Laureates and more than 3000 young women researchers, who, over the last 21 years, have benefited from increased recognition within the scientific community.
FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE: A MORE THAN 20-YEAR COMMITMENT
In the domain of scientific research, the glass ceiling is still a reality: only 28% of researchers are
women,1 11% of senior academic roles are held by women,2 and only 3% of Nobel Prizes for science have been awarded to women.
Since 1998, the L'Oréal Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO, has worked to improve the representation of women in scientific careers, remaining strong in our conviction that the world needs science, and science needs women. In its first 21 years, the For Women in Science programme supported and raised the profile of 107 laureates and more than 3,000 talented young scientists, both doctoral and post-doctoral candidates, providing research fellowships, allocated annually in 117 countries.
The 2019 Canadian Fellows
Since 2003, L'Oréal Canada and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO reward 5 young doctorate and post doctorate women researchers.
The L'Oréal-UNESCO 2019 Excellence in Research Fellowships, each worth $20,000, are awarded to support major postdoctoral research projects undertaken by young Canadians at a pivotal time in their career. They reward excellence and allow top scientists, selected by a panel of experts, to further their research. Dr. Liette Vasseur, President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, had the pleasure to present them to:
- Dr. Katherine Halievski, Research Fellow, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto;
- Dr. Elena Kuzmin, Postdoctoral Fellow Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal.
A $10,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and L'Oréal-UNESCO 2019 For Women in Science Supplement was awarded by Dr.Alejandro Adem, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to a Canadian scientist involved in a promising research project, namely:
- Dr. Zoe Panchen, Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Geography, University of British Columbia.
In collaboration with the France Canada Research Fund (FCRF), two fellowships of $5,000 each to encourage and develop scientific and university exchanges between France and Canada, in all areas of knowledge, from fundamental science to human and social sciences will be awarded by Ruby Heap, Co-president FCRF. The L'Oréal Canada France Canada Research Fund 2019 fellows are:
- Creighton Avery, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, McMaster University;
- Kristen Rutherford, PhD Candidate, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University.
In his closing remarks, Frank Kollmar, President and CEO of L'Oréal Canada, said: "Tonight, we honor women of science, because the L'Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have a conviction that is also obvious: the world needs science and science needs women. These 5 young researchers represent the future of scientific excellence in Canada and the advancement of our society."
About L'Oréal Canada
L'Oréal Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal Group, the largest cosmetics company in the world. Headquartered in Montreal, the company had sales of $1.280 billion in 2018 and employs more than 1,300 people. The company holds a portfolio of 36 brands, encompassing all aspects of beauty, and is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, salons, pharmacies, drugstores, and branded retail. L'Oréal Canada, whose operations are carbon neutral, supports the L'Oréal Foundation's programs such as L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science, which has promoted the advancement of women in science in Canada since 2003, Beauty for a better life, a social reintegration program in hairdressing for immigrant women since 2017, and the just recently launched Women in Digital support program.
About the Canadian Commission for UNESCO
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO serves as a bridge between Canadians and the vital work of UNESCO—the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. By promoting UNESCO values, priorities and programs in Canada and by bringing the voices of Canadian experts to the international stage, the Commission contributes to a peaceful, equitable and sustainable future that leaves no one behind.
About the France Canada Research Fund (FCRF) :
The France Canada Research Fund (FCRF) is a flagship instrument of French-Canadian scientific cooperation, created in 2000 by the Embassy of France in Canada and a consortium of 16 Canadian universities. In its 19 years of existence, the FCRF has funded more than 300 joint research projects. Today, with 20 member universities, it continues to support some 20 new projects each year led by French and Canadian teams that are collaborating for the first time.
1 |
UNESCO report on science towards 2030 (2015). |
2 |
BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP study for the L'Oréal Foundation (2013) on 14 pays (South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, Spain, United States, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, United Kingdom). |
SOURCE L'Oréal Canada Inc.
L'Oréal Canada media contact: Virginie Hotte-Dupuis, Manager External Communications & Philanthropy, L'Oréal Canada, 514-287-4618, [email protected]; Canadian Commission for UNESCO media contact: Angèle Cyr, Manager, Public Affairs, Canadian Commission for UNESCO, 613-566-4414, ext. 4168, [email protected]
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